Tire Damage Incurred During Landing of United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in Seattle

No Injuries Reported Among 182 Passengers as United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 Experiences Tire Damage on Seattle Landing.

A tire mishap occurred during the landing of a United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) at 11:30 am on Tuesday. The incident unfolded on flight UA450, which had departed from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) just shy of four hours earlier, operated by one of the airline's Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.

Remarkably, there were no accounts of injuries among the 176 travelers and six crew members onboard. However, sources indicate that passengers remained aboard the aircraft for approximately two hours after landing, awaiting buses to transport them to the terminal.

As of the time of this writing, the aircraft has been towed away for necessary repairs and still resides on the ground in Seattle, some 12 hours following the occurrence. Subsequent to the tire rupture, the 737 MAX 9 safely vacated the runway, relocating to one of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's taxiways, ensuring no disruption to other airport flight operations.

Competition on the Chicago - Seattle Route

United Airlines operates three daily flights between its Chicago hub and Seattle, with two flights served by the 737-900ER and one by the 737 MAX 9. The airline faces competition on this route, which ranks as the seventh-busiest domestic connection from Seattle, contending with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. Southwest Airlines also offers service between Seattle and its Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) hub.

The 737 MAX 9 involved in Tuesday's incident carries the registration N37507 and was newly delivered to United Airlines in September 2018. Data from the flight tracking portal FlightRadar24.com reveals that prior to operating flight UA450, the aircraft journeyed to Chicago from Cleveland (CLE) as flight UA238. It spent more than two hours grounded in Chicago before departing for Seattle at 09:46 am.

United Airlines and the Boeing 737 MAX

As reported by ch-aviation.com, United Airlines presently boasts a fleet of 74 737 MAX 9s, each configured to accommodate 179 passengers across two classes – 20 in business class and 159 in economy class. These additions supplement the airline's collection of 63 737 MAX 8s, solidifying United Airlines as the second-largest operator of the 737 MAX series, trailing only Southwest Airlines. In the forthcoming year, the carrier anticipates receiving the initial batch of 294 737 MAX 10s, securing its position as the inaugural customer for this aircraft variant.

United Airlines captured headlines on Tuesday by confirming a substantial order comprising 110 aircraft, encompassing 50 787s and 60 Airbus A321neo jets. These aircraft are set to join the airline's fleet between 2028 and 2031, serving as replacements for aging 757s and 767s as part of an ongoing fleet modernization initiative. For instance, United Airlines' 767-300ERs currently boast an average age of 27.6 years.

Source: simpleflying.com